The Nepalese war hero who settled in Hounslow earlier this year after a long battle for UK residency is once again fighting - this time to reclaim his Victoria Cross.

Tul Bahadur Pun, who moved into Martindale Road last July, claims his precious medals have been 'stolen' by his regiment through 'manipulation'.

In a speech delivered last month on the steps of the Gurkha war memorial in Whitehall to honour the regiment's dead, the battle-weary veteran demanded the return of his honours.

He said: "I am fighting for the return of my VC, taken under manipulation. This is life and death for me. I want to keep it. I want to wear it. I know the value of it. I don't want to die without wearing it in front of the British public."

The fearless 84-year-old won the VC for single handedly wiping out a Japanese machine gun platoon in the Second World War.

But in 1975 Gurkha regiment commanders persuaded the retired soldier to hand the medals over for display in Britain.

They paid the impoverished Gurkha a measely £800 but in a letter (pictured) acknowledged they were 'priceless' artefacts that remained his property.

But when Mr Pun tried to reclaim the medals last year the Gurkha Museum in Winchester, which had acquired them, refused.

They showed him a signed English language receipt of the transaction but told Mr Pun they had lost the original Nepali version - which he claims proves the medals remain his property.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) claim Army top brass purchased the medals by 'regimental subscription'.

They handed them to the museum and maintain they now have the final say.

An MoD spokesman said: "The Trustees of the Gurkha Museum considered a request by Tulbahadur Pun VC to give him back his medal in August 2006, but decided that they were unable, within the terms of their foundation constitution, to agree to return of the medal. To have done so would have required them to break their own foundation constitution."

MoD officials insist they have worked with the Museum and Nepali contacts to resolve the situation.

The spokesman added: "A replacement set of medals has been made and offered to him, but he has not accepted them."

From his home in Hounslow, the war hero rubbished the idea: "I want my medals back."